Claims that UK universities shared information with Iran being investigated

Officials are investigating reports that UK universities have collaborated with Iranian researchers on technology with potential military applications, the Prime Minister has said.

The issue was raised by Conservative MP David Davis at Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, with the former cabinet minister calling on Rishi Sunak to “take action to stop the failure of our sanctions regime before it does any more harm”.

It follows reports which claimed that more than a dozen UK universities have been working with Iranian researchers on drone research in what the publication suggests is a potential breach of the UK’s sanctions regime.

Mr Davis said: “The United Kingdom sanctioned Iran for promoting terrorism, for destabilising the Middle East, for supplying weapons to our enemies, and of course the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“Within the past few weeks, the journalist David Rose has reported in the Jewish Chronicle that British universities have been undertaking research in collaboration with Iranian researches and universities into areas with potential military applications, including drone technology, fighter jets, battlefield armour, and laser communication.

“Will the Prime Minister initiate an investigation into this and take action to stop the failure of our sanctions regime before it does any more harm to the national interest of the United Kingdom and our allies?”

Mr Sunak responded: “We take all allegations of breaches of export controls seriously, and my understanding is that officials in the Department for Business and Trade are currently now investigating the allegations made in the recent press article cited.

“We will not accept collaborations which compromise our national security, and that’s why we have made our systems more robust, including expanding the scope of the academic technology approval scheme to protect UK research from ever-changing global threats.”

Mr Sunak said Mr Davis was “right” to highlight the issue and offered his assurance “we will keep on it”.